[Freethe SF8] An appeal from Lynne Stewart on behalf of the SF8

[SF-8 case]

Lynne Stewart Defense Committee
350 Broadway, Suite 700, New York, New York 10013
tel: (212) 625-9696 fax: (212) 625-3939
<http://www.lynnestewart.org/>www.lynnestewart.org

Advisory Committee

Amiri and Amina Baraka
Terry Bisson
Paul Chevigny, Esq.
Noam Chomsky
Kathleen Cleaver
Elizabeth M. Fink, Esq.
Arthur Kinoy, Esq. (deceased)
Clark Kissinger
Barbara Lubin, M.E.C.A.
Father Lawrence Lucas
Jeff Mackler
Robert Meeropol, Esq.
Michael Ratner, Esq.
Hon. Bruce Mcmn Wright (deceased)
Howard Zinn


Support of the San Francisco 8

An open call to all my friends and comrades and political cohorts,

...the Movement


After a lazy summer, I was called back to action 
by the fact of the tremendous victory that was 
won by the lawyers for the San Francisco 8, in 
state court in San Francisco, when the Judge 
against the strong opposition of the government 
(California Attorney General Jerry Brown (!)) set 
bail.  In my 45 year experience as an activist 
and as an attorney, they just don’t set bail in 
a case that involves the murder of a cop– -not 
in the police state .  They especially don’t 
set bail when the defendants are activist black men.

To capsulize the case – the state has accused 8 
men, all with Black Panther, or other activist 
ties in the past,  almost 40 years after the 
event. For all of them except Herman and Jalil, 
they have lived public lives for nearly all of 
that time.   The crucial point, I believe, is 
that the state’s proof consists of confessions 
made under torture–which were disallowed as 
coerced and unreliable in  legal proceedings in 
the 1970s.  Now, with repression ever looming, 
they are resurrecting this case to feed the 
salacious police state,  the racism that is 
flourishing unabated AND, most importantly, to 
legitimize torture on the home front.


I am assuming your support of the San Francisco 8 
and I am asking you to go one step further.  We 
all know how to demonstrate and leaflet and hold 
events.  This is a call from me to all of you, 
who are able, to act above and beyond by 
committing your Property and to stand as surety 
for this bail or to help with the expenses to 
secure property commitments from others.

It is a tremendous advantage to be free on bail 
during trial.  It enables one to live in a 
positive, healthy manner and to ORGANIZE.  It 
communicates to the jury and the public that they 
have nothing to fear and should do absolute justice.

I have spoken with members of the Defense 
Committee and I can assure you that there is 
virtually no risk involved. (Indeed, even the 
Judge so stated when he set the amounts).  All of 
the 6 men have deep family and community 
roots.  Your property will be pledged without any 
cost to you and minimal hassle.  While smaller 
properties can be used and put together as a 
package, the Committee’s best hope is 
for  California progressives who invested wisely 
(!) back in the day to come forward.  I can tell 
you that my husband, Ralph Poynter, has offered 
the equity ($100,000) in the country house and 
property he owns in upstate NY.  As for me, as 
Judge Koeltl said at sentencing, I am 
“destitute”­but only financially.   I still 
have the energy and the will to try to organize, 
and yes, guilt trip everyone into taking a deep 
breath and doing something concrete, to demonstrate commitment.

In 1983, in one of my earliest political trials 
the wife of my client was held as a grand jury 
resister.  She was 8 ++ months pregnant and to 
enable her to deliver the baby in relative 
freedom and spend the months necessary to nurture 
her child–the Judge set a bail.  Ralph put up 
that bail – to the frantic concern of his 
silent partners.  My client was ultimately 
acquitted and this summer at a Boston event 
celebrating the Rosenberg fund, we met the 
“baby” who was born 24 years ago and is now a 
vibrant and lovely young woman.

Back when our hemlines were much shorter and our 
hair much longer, Oscar Brown,jr sang:

“Brother, where are you?”

Times haven’t really changed.  We still need to stand up for the
political brothers and sisters who are caught up 
in the legal system.  Give them a fighting chance 
by allowing them to deal with the case from the 
outside.    We need to answer the “brothers’ call”.

                                     I will.     Will you ?

                                                             Lynne F. Stewart

  Contact

<mailto:Claude at freedomarchives.org>Claude at freedomarchives.org or 415-863-9977

Committee for the Defense of Human Rights
P.O. Box 90221
Pasadena, CA 91109

(415) 226-1120
E-mail: <mailto:freethesf8 at riseup.net>freethesf8 at riseup.net

www.freethesf8.org



The attached photograph is of "the two Richards 
with Met West 10th grade from Oakland, CA. at the 
SF hearing.  Photo credit - Scott Braley

The two Richards are 2 members of the SF8 who are 
out on bail for more information visit the website



Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/cdhrsupport_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20070912/643457db/attachment.html 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: sf8supporters1.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 329702 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/cdhrsupport_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20070912/643457db/attachment.jpg